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Logan Sapphire

Ideal_Rock
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I pumped my last session today! The past few days, I've actually been down to every other day and today was the final straw- I only got 1.5 oz total so I know it's time to hang up the horns. Drew will be 1 on April 11 and I feel good that I was able to last this long, despite the fact that when I started this crazy exclusive pumping journey, I had no idea what I was in for. My freezer stash is going faster than I thought, but there should still be plenty to get him past a year. The good thing for me is that I believe I will have little to no discomfort stopping, which is something I had been worried about.

Good luck to all you pumping mamas!
 

Lanie

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LS -- that's awesome!!!! Are you still nursing or are you done with that too (forgive me if you are EP and I just didn't notice). I'm scared of the discomfort as well. But I'm amazed you could go every other day. How long did it last at every other day?
 

Logan Sapphire

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Lanie, I'm EPing so no nursing for me. I have a lot of mixed feelings about weaning but think in the end, I'll feel relieved for it to just be over. I only did every other day for about 1 week, so not long at all. The initial goal had been 9 months, and then when that arrived, I figured I would see how long I could go, with the goal of being fully weaned by his 1st birthday and using just the frozen stash. But I was only at one pump a day so it was inevitable it would come to a screeching halt.

If you're worried about engorgement and discomfort, I would do a very slow wean for sure. The reason I ended up going 1 week every other day was that 48 hours after what I thought was my last pump, I started to feel slightly uncomfy but not engorged by any means, so I pumped to relieve any pressure. I was also curious to see what I would get after 48 hours. It was a pathetic amount! I ended up pumping twice more after that. I don't think I needed to do it today but just did out of curiosity. The 1.5 oz said it all though!
 

Puppmom

Ideal_Rock
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Congrats, LS! What an achievement! The amount of time and energy that goes into being a full time pumping mom is extraordinary and comes with challenges that are hard for some people to overcome. You really should give yourself a pat on the back for your commitment!
 

drk

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Congrats LS! I was doing EOD for a few days a couple weeks ago, off all my domperidone, but then I had that crazy mood crash with horrible anxiety and insomnia that my doc thought was related to weaning. I wondered if tapering the domperidone too fast had something to do with it, so I went back on it and went back to pumping each night. I only get about 5oz a night right now, but figure I'll pump once a day till I'm off the domperidone again in a few weeks. K's already a year old, I've still got quite a few bags of milk in the freezer, and as of this past weekend, I've started mixing in homo milk to transition her to that from BM. So far she's drinking it just fine. I'm thinking a week of 75% BM/25% milk, then 50/50 for a week, then 25/75 for a week, and then just milk. We'll see how it goes!
 

icekid

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Congrats, LS!! That is such a wonderful and huge accomplishment. You ladies have been my inspiration to keep at it many, many times.
 

Loves Vintage

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Ahhhhhh, pumping! I love it, and I hate it. I love it because I can feed my daughter! I hate it because it is a pain in many respects!!

So, I am back to work this week (2 days in the office), and this whole lugging around pump thing is a bit tedious. I am going to get a second set of parts, which should help me get out the door a little quicker in the morning, but I guess I was really used to having my pump set up as a station in the nursery. I don't like unhooking it and moving it around. I am lazy, yes, but I also have about a million other things to do!

I have an older pump (from a friend) that I was using in the beginning. The motor sounds kind of meh. I'm thinking of bringing the old pump to my office and leaving it here. It'd be one less thing to remember in the mornings. Man, it is HARD to get out the door, remember everything for daycare, remember everything for the pump, and looking halfway professional. But, I suppose I'll get used to it, right?

Anyone else have two pumps? Think my supply will be affected if 4 pumps per week, out of let's see, 35-42 pumps per week (that sounds like so much!) are with a less efficient machine? Or maybe I should just stop complaining, huh?

ARRRRGGGHHHHHH! I still go to a lactation consultant. They still *think* she will b/f one day. I hope she will. I am so tired of pumping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ETA: Oh, and curious how many times per day you all are pumping at work. 2X per day seems to work for me. 2X in the am before work and then 1X - 2X after I get home.
 

Logan Sapphire

Ideal_Rock
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Hey LV-

I actually had 3 pumps- one rented from the hospital that I used all during my maternity leave and then for my at home pumps once I went back to work; a Freestyle that I kept at work during the week and took home for the weekends so I could pump on the go; and a manual Harmony pump that I kept at work for backup. I did forget pump parts once or twice and it was SO good that i had the handpump there. I have over an hour commute so going back home to get the pump wasn't an option for me.

Also, once I went back to work, I dropped to 4 pumps total a day and was able to get 36-40 oz on those 4 pumps. I don't remember if you're EPIng or also nursing though.

I've been fully weaned for a month now. FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At first I missed it a little but I got over it quickly!
 

Loves Vintage

Ideal_Rock
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Hi LS - WOW! I wonder if you were able to pump so much because you started out with the hospital grade pump? That is AWESOME that you were able to pump so much per day! I am currently pumping about 23 oz per day, which I am so happy about because when I started on this thread I think I was only pumping 8 oz per day!! (Could possibly have been related to using the old pump, but it took me a while to build up to where I am now even with the new pump.) If I were pumping 30+, I think I'd be jumping up and down happy!! And yay for you for being done! It ain't easy is all I will say, but it is worth it. At this point, I am EP'ing because despite all of my efforts and professional assistance, my perfect little baby girl will not breastfeed. A few weeks ago, we had a period of 5 or 6 days where she did breastfeed at almost every feeding, and I thought all of our problems were behind us, but then for some unknown reason, she again stopped abruptly. (She can also be difficult at the bottle!) We see a doctor, a pediatrician, who has been running a lactation practice, exclusively, for the past 15 years. I really feel we are doing all that we can to get back on track, but if it never happens, I am ok with pumping my 23 and supplementing the rest with formula. It has been so difficult for me, emotionally and time-wise. This thread has helped a great deal. I've re-visited it a few times. Thank you again for starting it. :wavey:

I'll look into the manual pump too! I don't ever want to be without!!
 

Lanie

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I pump only 3 times a day now and my supply has been greatly affected. It took about 2 weeks, but it went from over 10 ounces per pump to now about 5 ounces per pump, sometimes less.

And I hate my pump! I pump in a different spot every time. I also have an older one, that looks kind of like a suitcase, but at least it doesn't say BREAST PUMP on it or anything. Wouldn't that be horrible? My morning pump spot is in my bathroom while I put on makeup, my mid day spot is at work, and my night spot is in the living room. If I was rich, i'd have 3 different pumps.

Funny story -- I pump in my classroom and I am able to lock the door. I have a long window next to the door with mini blinds, but I was told by a teacher that you can see through the little cracks and holes in it, so I tape up pieces of paper every time. Pain pain pain in my bootie, but at least no middle schooler can peep in. Anyway, my principal was talking to me in my room, and when he left, I locked the door behind him, closed the blinds, taped up the paper, and went to get started. A few seconds later, I heard him tapping on my door, so I unhooked, went and opened the door, and he was like "Why are you locking the door and putting papers up to cover the blinds?" I didn't know what to say, so I just said "I'm doing mommy things" and he got so embarrassed and muttered something and walked away quickly. Hahaha! He's a super cool guy, so he was more embarrased them me, but I thought it was funny. I can't tell you how many kids come and try to open my door and I can hear them outside "Why is Mrs. Lanie's door locked? SHe never locks her door! Try again...maybe the door is jammed. Is she in there? I can't see anything. I need to ask her a question. Let's come back in 2 or 3 minutes." :cheeky:
 

Loves Vintage

Ideal_Rock
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Lanie - That IS a funny story! I would be freaking out if kids were trying to open the door. Haha. So far, I've had a lot of people milling around outside my office! Oh well! Is your pump a medela? Leather case? We may have the same one. I'll have to try using it again at home to see if it's workable. Oh, and I meant to tell you, I did try one of those hands-free pumping bras. Uhm, question, do you wear it all day or change into it for just when you are pumping? I didn't find it to be the most flattering fit! I'm still so impressed that you can apply make-up while pumping. Oh, and good for you for pumping only 3X per day. You're basically pumping for daycare feedings then, right?
 

Kunzite

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I'm down to pumping three times a day and my supply took a major hit! I went from pumping around 1500 mL a day to 940 mL yesterday! I know I should be thankful because it's still plenty for O, and I'm okay with that total, but it has me scared because it's been a constant steady decline that doesn't seem to be stopping. I think four pumps a day was my sweet spot but I just can't find the time to go back to four, it would either involve pumping more at work (which isn't realistic right now) or getting up in the middle of the night again. When I think about the amount of milk I've donated it makes me wonder if I should have just gotten a deep freeze in case O needed it. Too late now!

LS - Congrats on weaning!!

LV - I do think that a subpar pump will affect your supply, absolutely! That's why they encourage NICU mamas to start pumping with a hospital grade pump. There were a few days when I had the Symphony and my connector wasn't on right and I didn't notice that it felt different but I did notice I pumped a lot less. As soon as I reconnected everything my production went back up. So the quality of the suction plays a big part. I wish I could leave my pump at work!! If I could justify the expense to myself I would do it! I take the bus to work and my pump bag doesn't fit all my stuff so I end up with three bags once I add in my laptop! Such a pain! If I had it to do over I would have gotten the Freestyle since it's so small. I have a Pump Ease bra and I love it. I don't wear it all day, it's small enough to just throw in my bag. I'm still wearing nursing tanks under all of my clothes so that makes it easier.

Laine - Too funny! The bathroom I pump in at work (gross, right?) doesn't show from the outside if someone is in it, so the entire time I'm pumping people will be trying to come in the door! I'm always thankful when someone messes with the handle while I'm still setting up because it gives me peace of mind that the door is really locked!
 

split_shank

Shiny_Rock
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Me again, wading in the EP waters, thinking about diving in.....

DS is 5 1/2 mo old, has been EBP the whole time, 2 feedings a day coming from bottles at daycare. He has had his bouts of refusing the right breast, even initially he had a hard time latching on in the early days. He came around, did "ok', but never preferred or emptied the R breast effectively as the left. Fast forward 5 months, and he has consistantly been refusing the last 2 weeks. Either starting on the R for a few minutes and getting mad and so worked up that he will not eat until you switch him to the other side, or refusing all together. If I give him a bottle, he chows it down. So its either L breast all the time, or bottles. He is one impatient little monkey, and gets worked up if let down isn't immediate, which is frustrating to both of us. I've tried R side first, R side later after letdown, nothing works.

Anyhoo, I'm thinking of EP'ing. It is a little more time consuming, but I know he is getting enough then, it is much less frustrating to both of us, and I can still continue to offer BM, which is utimately the goal I want in the end. Rambling here, but just wondering if you have any tricks/tips to get EP'ing to work for a working girl :) I just purchased my 2nd set of parts, and some more bottles. Oh, I am still going to try to BF for any night feedings (once a night usually) mostly out of laziness and the hope that he will be too drowsy to notice the 'evil R side". I haven't been fooling him the last few days though. Its usually half the R and then until full on the L.

My sister tells me my production is going to go down if I switch to just pumping. I beg to differ as long as I pump as often as he is feeding. Correct me if I'm wrong. I am also taking fenugreek because I was concerned with producing enough lately, as the doctor wanted to increase his bottle amounts to get him to gain some more weight.

Again, just wondering how you all made it through so successfully and I"m glad there are others out there for whatever reason that choose to go this route!!
 

Puppmom

Ideal_Rock
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SS, I'm not a pro since I don't EP but I do think you'll notice a dip in your supply if you only pump once for every feeding. When I pump now, I usually get enough for DS at each sitting but I think that's because the three times per day that I nurse keeps my supply up. If I were to replace those with pumping, I'm pretty sure my supply would dip. The one thing that may help is if you pump in the am and get excess maybe that'll make up for whatever you come up short for the rest of the day? I don't think there's any harm in trying though. If your supply dips you can just up the number of pumps, right?
 

Logan Sapphire

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split_shank|1303742015|2904508 said:
Me again, wading in the EP waters, thinking about diving in.....

DS is 5 1/2 mo old, has been EBP the whole time, 2 feedings a day coming from bottles at daycare. He has had his bouts of refusing the right breast, even initially he had a hard time latching on in the early days. He came around, did "ok', but never preferred or emptied the R breast effectively as the left. Fast forward 5 months, and he has consistantly been refusing the last 2 weeks. Either starting on the R for a few minutes and getting mad and so worked up that he will not eat until you switch him to the other side, or refusing all together. If I give him a bottle, he chows it down. So its either L breast all the time, or bottles. He is one impatient little monkey, and gets worked up if let down isn't immediate, which is frustrating to both of us. I've tried R side first, R side later after letdown, nothing works.

Anyhoo, I'm thinking of EP'ing. It is a little more time consuming, but I know he is getting enough then, it is much less frustrating to both of us, and I can still continue to offer BM, which is utimately the goal I want in the end. Rambling here, but just wondering if you have any tricks/tips to get EP'ing to work for a working girl :) I just purchased my 2nd set of parts, and some more bottles. Oh, I am still going to try to BF for any night feedings (once a night usually) mostly out of laziness and the hope that he will be too drowsy to notice the 'evil R side". I haven't been fooling him the last few days though. Its usually half the R and then until full on the L.

My sister tells me my production is going to go down if I switch to just pumping. I beg to differ as long as I pump as often as he is feeding. Correct me if I'm wrong. I am also taking fenugreek because I was concerned with producing enough lately, as the doctor wanted to increase his bottle amounts to get him to gain some more weight.

Again, just wondering how you all made it through so successfully and I"m glad there are others out there for whatever reason that choose to go this route!!

How many times are you feeding your son and how much is he eating in bottles? When I went back to work at 5 months, I don't remember how often my son was eating but it was at least 4 times a day, undoubtedly more. I pumped 4 times a day, so less than his feedings, and made enough (36-40 oz) for the day, plus usually some to freeze. When I went to 3 pumps, that was the beginning of the end.

If you're thinking of EPing, as I did, you might want to check out the Yahoo group Pump Moms or the BabyCenter group The Exclusive Pumpers. Both were really helpful to me. I don't know what your supply is like but I would say mine was decent without having to use anything other than the occasional fenugreek when I could remember or be bothered. There are a lot of women who are blessed (or cursed, as they might say at times) with an oversupply and they are making insane amts of milk on 3, 2, or even 1 pump a day. So, it's not necessarily true that your production will go down just b/c you EP. I actually made it to 11.5 months (quit b/c I was ready and I purposely killed my supply in order to have an easy wean) and outlasted a lot of my friends who only breastfed, as their supply seemed to die at 6 months.
 

split_shank

Shiny_Rock
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323
As of now, he is eating:
(I have to type this while I think)

6:45am before work me/bottle- he does 'ok' BF in the morning, but usually gives up on the R side and I am left lopsided, resulting in me having to pump anyways, which I don't have time for,so I have just been pumping in the first place the last few days.
10:00 bottle
2:00 bottle
5:30 me
8:30 me/bottle - he has been refusing the most at this feed, probably mostly from being tired but he has been refusing at all feedings lately so I have been doing a pumped bottle to make sure he gets enough before bed
3:30 am - me (he has only slept thru the night about 4 times in the last month)

Bottles are up to 5 oz now. He always seemed satisfied but the dr was not impressed with his weight so she wanted me to up to at least 5, and I may do 5 1/2 oz soon. He has taken as much as 6 1/2 oz. I know with his rejecting fits that he is not getting nearly 5 oz.

I can handle the MOTN feeding and the after work feeding (they are almost like snacks anyways because they aren't too long after the previous feeding), but to me the before bed and morning feedings are critical to ensure he gets enough.

I don't know.

Part of me wants to tough it out and make it work, but thats just me being stubborn. By the way he is acting, he'll suck, then kind of stop and start kicking his feet and pull HARD while still attached :shock: and it is driving me crazy. I am wondering if its a flow problem. Like I said, he is impatient. A bottle is instant gratification, and unfortunately with daycare, is unavoidable.

I always pump to equal a feeding session. I know for a fact that if I skipped any feeeding my supply would go down for sure.

Thanks for listening. :)
 

Loves Vintage

Ideal_Rock
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Hi SS,

When you feed from a bottle, do you feed while holding him on your right or left side? If you move him to your right side, this might make feeding from that side seem more "ok" to him. EP'g is hard!! I see where you're coming from, but if I were in your situation, coming from my perspective, I would try to maintain direct bf'g as much as possible! The one thing that I hate the most about pumping is that I wish I were holding my daughter during that time!

With that said, a happy mom is the best mom so you have to do what is right for you and your son! It is hard to know whether your supply will dip because everyone is different. Since you mentioned in your post that you were concerned about your supply in general, I would think there's some possibility that your supply will go down. As someone who has had supply issues, I will say that pumping more does not necessarily mean producing more. If I pump 6X per day, I might get an oz or so more than pumping 5X, but there is not an infinte supply from which to draw, or rather, my supply does not replenish itself super-quickly.

Also, I think your sister is suggesting your supply will decrease because it is true that nothing is better than the baby at emptying the breast. So, while the baby might be satisfied and is able to remove 5 oz at one time, the pump would likely leave some milk behind. If you are producing a ton of milk, it might not make a difference because you'd be able to pump the 5 to feed and if you kept pumping, you might pump 8 or something like that.

All of this is so variable by person and by experience. You can try it and see how it goes. I'd also suggest seeing a LC to see if they can help fix whatever is going on re: your right side.

Oh, how much fenugreek are you taking? I was taking A LOT, like 800 mg 4X per day. At my last appointment, I was told that the fenugreek helps to increase supply, but it is not necessary to keep taking it once your supply is up. I happily stopped taking it last week and am still pumping the same amount.

ETA: I typed this before I saw your reply (started a while ago and just came back), so I haven't read your reply yet.
 

Logan Sapphire

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Hmm...let me think about the rest of your post but out of curiosity, what flow nipple are you using with your bottles? My son is 12.5 months old and we are still using Level 1 On occasion we'll go to Level 2 but not often. Perhaps going back to the standard size will help slow him down and he'll be less impatient on the breast?
 

Loves Vintage

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LS - I'm just trying to get through things day-by-day here so I haven't thought very much about what future months will hold, but I am really surprised to hear that that your EBF friends' supplies diminished at 6 months. How can that be? Don't you have to try to make your supply go down? If all other factors remain constant, one's supply doesn't just stay about the same for as long as your EBF or EP? Or, do I now have something else to worry about?

SS - Could you (or have you) tried hand expressing to start so that baby hopefully doesn't get so frustrated waiting for flow to start?
 

Loves Vintage

Ideal_Rock
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Ohhhhhhhhh, one more thing. Has anyone else noticed an issue with the measurement labels on the medela bottles? I pump into the plastic bottles, then pour into playtex drop-ins. The numbers are always OFF! If I pump 6 oz, then pour into the drop-ins, the drop-ins label will say 7 oz! So, last night I measured 4 oz in a regular kitchen liquid measuring cup, and poured into the medela bottle, which read 3 oz. :o So, that means I've been pumping more all along than I thought I was, which also means my baby has been eating more than I thought, which is further troubling because she has not been gaining on any consistent curve. :confused: It's very very confusing!!
 

Logan Sapphire

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Loves Vintage|1303846191|2905537 said:
LS - I'm just trying to get through things day-by-day here so I haven't thought very much about what future months will hold, but I am really surprised to hear that that your EBF friends' supplies diminished at 6 months. How can that be? Don't you have to try to make your supply go down? If all other factors remain constant, one's supply doesn't just stay about the same for as long as your EBF or EP? Or, do I now have something else to worry about?

SS - Could you (or have you) tried hand expressing to start so that baby hopefully doesn't get so frustrated waiting for flow to start?

Maybe my friends were very unlucky! I know for sure that one mom is a SAHM so she doesn't have to deal with pumping at work. In fact, 6 months is the longest she's made it; with her other 4 kids, she's had much less success. I guess ike you said, it's so individual for people...I hope I didn't imply that everyone who bf's will run out in 6 months. If I did, I didn't mean to- I just meant to say that it's possible to maintain a decent supply through EPing.

I know they say that your supply will dip around your period. I definitely found this to be true, and in fact, I got my first post-partum period 9 months out and my supply started to slip and not recover. I started losing a couple ounces a day, which I was fine with and didn't try to increase. I'm not sure what would happen if I had tried to increase it.
 

Logan Sapphire

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Split- one more thing. How long are you pumping for? They say to pump until empty (or as much as you can gauge emptiness) and then for 5 mins after to signal to your body to keep producing. I pumped for 30 mins.
 

Loves Vintage

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Logan Sapphire|1303846953|2905543 said:
Loves Vintage|1303846191|2905537 said:
LS - I'm just trying to get through things day-by-day here so I haven't thought very much about what future months will hold, but I am really surprised to hear that that your EBF friends' supplies diminished at 6 months. How can that be? Don't you have to try to make your supply go down? If all other factors remain constant, one's supply doesn't just stay about the same for as long as your EBF or EP? Or, do I now have something else to worry about?

SS - Could you (or have you) tried hand expressing to start so that baby hopefully doesn't get so frustrated waiting for flow to start?

Maybe my friends were very unlucky! I know for sure that one mom is a SAHM so she doesn't have to deal with pumping at work. In fact, 6 months is the longest she's made it; with her other 4 kids, she's had much less success. I guess ike you said, it's so individual for people...I hope I didn't imply that everyone who bf's will run out in 6 months. If I did, I didn't mean to- I just meant to say that it's possible to maintain a decent supply through EPing.
I know they say that your supply will dip around your period. I definitely found this to be true, and in fact, I got my first post-partum period 9 months out and my supply started to slip and not recover. I started losing a couple ounces a day, which I was fine with and didn't try to increase. I'm not sure what would happen if I had tried to increase it.

Oh, no, no not at all! I just meant, do I now have to worry that I too might wind up struggling in 6 months? Will I be unlucky in that respect too?

I think you're right, in that, this must be highly individualized too. And, babies, oh my goodness, they are all so different. Could be something changed with the babies or their routine, so they were not feeding the same, and then supply decreases and then it becomes a vicious cycle, difficult to recover supply. Who knew it could all be so complicated?

This is sooo my issue. My only mom issue, really, that when I saw your post, I hopped right on it. Like, please don't tell me I've worked so hard and now there's a chance everything is going to crash at 6 mos!! Oh well, time to go pump!!
 

tiffanytwisted

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Loves Vintage|1303846881|2905542 said:
Ohhhhhhhhh, one more thing. Has anyone else noticed an issue with the measurement labels on the medela bottles? I pump into the plastic bottles, then pour into playtex drop-ins. The numbers are always OFF! If I pump 6 oz, then pour into the drop-ins, the drop-ins label will say 7 oz! So, last night I measured 4 oz in a regular kitchen liquid measuring cup, and poured into the medela bottle, which read 3 oz. :o So, that means I've been pumping more all along than I thought I was, which also means my baby has been eating more than I thought, which is further troubling because she has not been gaining on any consistent curve. :confused: It's very very confusing!!


I have noticed the same thing with the medela bottles. I'm so glad you mentioned this because I thought I was crazy!
 

split_shank

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Thanks for all the replies- I'll try to answer all the questions in one post with one hand while mini-man tries to lend a hand....

I do bottle feed holding him on the left, I guess he is on the left for everything so I can do things with my right hand. I will try the right side tonight and see what happens.

I did switch to level 2 nipples, which I"m sure didn't help the situation one bit, but it seemed like he was collapsing the nipple and again, getting frustrated with even the bottle. Temper temper!!!

I pump as long as there is nothing left coming out, and then a little. I will admit I am not good at pumping longer than the last drop. I do 'squeeze/massage til the last drop' though. Not sure if thats a good thing or not. THat was going to be my next question.

I noticed the medela bottles were different than when I poured into Lanisoh bags, but I figured it was the bags since they are stand-up ones and maybe sit funny. Interesting!!!!!
 

Kunzite

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Loves Vintage|1303846881|2905542 said:
Ohhhhhhhhh, one more thing. Has anyone else noticed an issue with the measurement labels on the medela bottles? I pump into the plastic bottles, then pour into playtex drop-ins. The numbers are always OFF! If I pump 6 oz, then pour into the drop-ins, the drop-ins label will say 7 oz! So, last night I measured 4 oz in a regular kitchen liquid measuring cup, and poured into the medela bottle, which read 3 oz. :o So, that means I've been pumping more all along than I thought I was, which also means my baby has been eating more than I thought, which is further troubling because she has not been gaining on any consistent curve. :confused: It's very very confusing!!

That's a lot to be off! My Medela bottles, Lasinoh bags, and Playtex bottles are all off from each other by about 5 mL. It seems to go up and down so I figure it all evens out. But an entire ounce! That's crazy. Mine are certainly not off by that much. You must have gotten some wonky bottles :loopy:

SS - You've gotten a lot of good advice so I don't have anything to add. Just to say I agree with, LV. You need to do whatever you need to stay happy and sane!!
 

Logan Sapphire

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Loves Vintage|1303846881|2905542 said:
Ohhhhhhhhh, one more thing. Has anyone else noticed an issue with the measurement labels on the medela bottles? I pump into the plastic bottles, then pour into playtex drop-ins. The numbers are always OFF! If I pump 6 oz, then pour into the drop-ins, the drop-ins label will say 7 oz! So, last night I measured 4 oz in a regular kitchen liquid measuring cup, and poured into the medela bottle, which read 3 oz. :o So, that means I've been pumping more all along than I thought I was, which also means my baby has been eating more than I thought, which is further troubling because she has not been gaining on any consistent curve. :confused: It's very very confusing!!

LV- what is going on with your daughter and her weight gain? Remind me how old she is. I'm asking b/c my son has also fallen off his weight curve (from 80% to 20%), which concerns me. The dr. said she's not worried yet but she wants him to gain 2.5 lbs in the next 3 months...
 

Loves Vintage

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Tiffany, It's maddening, isn't it? How could they not get the measurements correct? I'm going to test them all when I have some spare time!! Joy! Hope everything is going well with you! Life must be super-busy for you with two little ones!

SS, RE: your question re: emptying every last drop, yes, that is what you should be doing because it tells your body that much milk is needed and signals it to produce more. I have been told though, that to the extent it starts to feel like a burden to me, that I really shouldn't wait for every last drop. This is when I was pumping like 40 mins a session! Now, I am closer to 25 mins, sometimes more sometimes less, per session.

Kunzite, I'll test all of the bottles, but it is crazy! Maybe it is only one bottle that is off. These are the 5 oz bottles with the imprints for measurements. I'll be curious to see if the ones with the labels molded into the bottles are off.

LS - My LO is almost 13 weeks. She was in the 95th or 97th percentile (I don't recall which, atm)for weight when she was born. She has been steadily dropping percentiles since then. She's been weighed sometimes as much as on a weekly basis, and the l.c. always charts her growth. Some weeks it looks like she is trying to climb up to another percentile, but then following week, she'll drop a few more. It is really confusing because the LC's say she should have adopted some consistent curve by now. When I asked them if this is something to be concerned about, their answer is no, so I really really really do not even understand what the point of these curves are, other than perhaps if there was some really dramatic loss, it might clue the practitioner into something else being wrong. In the past, the LC's have tried to point to her growth chart to provide evidence of her bf behavior, like she was trying to catch-up to an earlier curve and that is why she was being difficult at the breast and then even difficult at the bottle. Her pediatrician would say this is all malarkey, btw. When I took her for her 2 mo check-up, I told him I was concerned about her weight. He just shook his head at me when I said I didn't think she weighed enough. She was at the 70th or so percentile at that point. He said he looks at the whole child and that she is perfect. :love: And, truthfully, I think she is too; however, with all of this weight talk at the LC, I have had a lot of concern/worry over her inability to gain consistently, especially when the LCs were telling me that her inability to gain was tied to her inability to BF (i.e. my BIG issue!) We have another appointment this week, so curious to see how much she has gained.

Did your doctor give you any advice as to how to get your son to gain the 2.5 lbs? How old is he now? Do you have a clear understanding of what these charts are for, or just something else to make us worry!!!!
 

Logan Sapphire

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You know, I really don't know what the point of those charts is, other than to cause needless worry like you say! I assume your LCs are using WHO charts, which I believe are standardized for the breastfed baby. If I look at the charts my dr uses versus WHO, I get different estimates. Granted, they're all saying he's a light weight, but the exact percentile varies. Even online calculators all produce different percentiles. From my admittedly feeble understanding, the drs use those charts to see if there are wild and sudden variations in growth. So they tell me that even though D has steadily decreased in his weight percentile, the fact that it's a steady decrease isn't really a cause for concern (yet). If he had wild spikes, they would be more concerned. It sounds like your daughter has a steady descrease too, for the most part. Is that correct?

Also, how tall is your daughter? D is a very tall kid. He is 32" at 12 months, which depending on what chart you use, is anywhere from 95th percentile to off the charts. The dr has said that clearly all his growing has been up, not out. I think what concerns her slightly is that his weight-to-height ratio is very low. I just looked at a WHO ratio chart and it's 3%. I guess the concern is that if he gets sick, he won't have any fat reserves to call on. WHO height is off the charts and weight is maybe at the 40th percentile. So, who (or is that WHO??) knows! If he's not at 23lbs in 3 months, she might have us see a GI to make sure he's properly absorbing enough calories/nutrition. The other thing that worries me is that he's not a great solids eater. There have been days when he's literally had 5 bites of his meal all day and less than 18oz of breast milk.

I've also heard with regards to weight and how much ounces can make a difference that a good poop or feed before an appt can have a big effect on the percentages at this point. If D had 6 ounces in him from eating, that could really factor in. Likewise with a massive blowout on the other end of the spectrum. The other thing is genetics, obviously. My husband is tall, but I'm only 5'3" so I figured I would bring the average down. I was adopted so don't know my genetic history- I'm on the thinner side of average. DH is 180 at 6'1" so he's not large but not super skinny. I attribute D's build to my twin sister, who is very thin.

They've told me to feed him more healthy fattening foods. D loves guacamole (won't eat plain avocado). I give him whole milk greek yogurt with fruit puree to sweeten it. They've said to cook with olive oil or butter but I can't bring myself to do that. You're a ways off but from what I understand, whole cow's milk does a lot to fatten them up too.
 

AllieLuv83

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At 6 months Charlie is in the 95th percentile for height and only the 50th for weight. We dropped from the 95th to the 75th to the 50th at the 2, 4 and 6 months WBV respectively. He is not a great eater at daycare, sometimes he will only eat 6oz in a span of a day. My DH is 6'2" and 145lbs so I figure Charlie will be on the tall and skinny side which is fine with me. However, when I looked at the WHO charts the and plugged in his weight it looks like he has always hovered around the 50th percentile mark. I am hoping that he gains some weight before the 9 month visit.
 
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